vets fees

[chirpychirpy]

my dog had a bad tummy bug, got admitted to our local vet hospital where he stayed for 24 hours having a few tests which turned out negative...the cost £415.

This is just one example of many. Is there nothing anyone can do to stop vets charging whatever they feel like?

Even if my pooch hasd been collected in a Gold-plated cadilac and put up in trhe Ritz for the night I'd have baulked at this price - it's taking advantage of the love we have for our animals. Is there a governing body I can turn to?

Oh yes, the first question they ask when presenting you with these monstrous bills is 'Is your dog insured?' Well, what if he is? Maybe insurance companies should lead the uprising. something HAS to be done.

[boxtops]

That sounds pretty normal to me, overnight stays and the tests are expensive, especially with lab fees. You can always ask for a quotation first. Shop around though - the big vet chains have more overheads so tend to charge more, I moved earlier this year from a chain to an independent vet, even the costs of medication and flea treatment are considerably less than I was paying before.

[wolf63]

If you have a look at this link - frightening reading.

http://www.whatprice....prices.html#priceform

[hc4361]

I sympathise but I do find the words you use very interesting.

You say the dog 'got admitted' but surely you mean you were advised that the dog should be kept in for tests? NHS patients are 'admitted' to hospital, usually with reluctance of the part of the doctors.

As there is no doggy NHS insurance would be sensible.

[lankeela]

I am considering having my bitches spayed, and discussed this with my vet tonight. He suggested I go back to having them jabbed to stop them coming into season, but wait till they actually come in, before starting the jabs as this will save me money! He also said this would be a cheaper option in the short term than having them spayed as I could have several years' worth of jabs for the cost of spaying them both - I'm lucky to have a vet who wants to save me money! Also no charge for the 'consultation' as I was picking up a repeat prescription. You wouldn't get that at a vet hospital.

[jules77]

I think it is a fairly reasonable question to ask if you are insured or not when considering appropriate tests. I know I may have thought twice in the past about having tests carried out on my first visit rather than wait a few days to see if the vets initial diagnosis has proved to be correct. Have you considered the training involved to become a vet, together with the overheads of running a practice, long hours etc? If you compare to a Doctor's salary for example, you will find vets are comparitively cheap. My own private health cover is substantially more than I pay for the dogs insurance, and I can get an appointment to see my vet the same day, which is more than can be said of our own health system. A vet is not a charity, and they have every right to be paid for their time.

[RATTER15]

A comparison of British Vets charges, drugs etc to that of vets on the Continent, I think you may well find that the vets in this Country are ripping us off big time.

[Ratty2E]

Some vets do seem to charge a lot more than others. Some do seem to be plain greedy but others may have higher overheads, more staff, better more up to date equipment etc. The trouble is us human beings are used to getting free or subsidised health care and it comes as a bit of shock when you actually have to pay for the treatment. I have changed vets because I was'nt happy about charges and the seemingly unnecessary treatments and procedures they were doing. Having a pet means you never know when a massive vets bill might pop up so you could get insurance or put a little away every month in a savings account.

[lankeela]

Whether you have insurance or not also means the vet might consider different treatments if you haven't got insurance, to keep the cost down. There are often different ways of treating conditions and maybe if there is insurance they would go for the dearest option first instead of trying other possible solutions.

[craft1948]

The daughter is a veterinary drug importer/exporter (most of her clients are in the Middle East). She said the mark-up on drugs that vets charge in this country is criminal.

[heathfield]

There are drugs that can be used on humans and on animals. EU directives on the testing, regulation, and certification of those for use on animals raises the cost of those drugs to five times the cost of identical drugs for use on humans.

[weecalf]

Paid nearly 500 quid on vet fees for dog that included him having to be put down .We got as nice card from the vet stating how wonderfu a dog he was and how sorry they were at his passing ..... Card 30p fee £500 and no dog .It was best for the dog but no card and £200 would have been more accceptable.